Policy on potty training at DCPS?

[Anonymous]

DS will be starting in a pk3 class in DCPS, taking an early stages spot after completing his IEP for ASD. We met with the special Ed coordinator at the school and encountered some camouflaged resistance - "don't you want to send your kids to XYZ school instead since they have better ASD resources?" Um, no. I got a voicemail from her on Friday afternoon saying that we are all set for DS to start this week, but that I should just be prepared to pick him up if he has a toiletting accident at school. What the f is that all about??? DS does not have notable potty problems, but just like any 3 year old kid is liable to have an accident here or there. Is she seriously trying to tell me that they would leave DS sitting in his own filth for an hour while I get to school from the office so I can clean him up? Has anyone heard of this before as a DCPS policy? I'm wondering if this is a an attempt to create a barrier to DS's entry to the school.

[Anonymous]

Thread on this top from the DC public and charter schools forum http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/241936.page

[Anonymous]

I would send a change of clothes in his backpack in a ziplock just in case, because he's three. Then if they call you, you can direct them to the clothes in his backpack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would send a change of clothes in his backpack in a ziplock just in case, because he's three. Then if they call you, you can direct them to the clothes in his backpack.

They may not change him. Not their job to wipe a school aged kid's ass.

[Anonymous]

All kids in our school until K are asked to bring in two sets of clothes in case of accidents. This is just reasonable, not an attack on you or your child.

[Anonymous]

I think that most public school systems have a hands-off policy when it comes to toilet accidents, even for the pre-k classes. The only exception would be if you had a 504 plan that allowed for it due to his special needs. However, that might cause him to be moved to the other school so tread lightly.

[Anonymous]

That sounds odd, particularly for an early stages kids (who, even if yours is not, are kids less likely to be fully trained - especially since some of them enter the second they turn 3 and have other things going on). And also a really super introduction to your new school. My kid (also early stages placed) is one of several not trained kids in the class, and I know several more have accidents/require pulls up at nap. I don't much care whether the school is thrilled with it, it's part of their job. And they do it. I'm happy to work with them on issues and making progress, but the kids are 3 and this comes with the territory.

I don't think if you push it/make it an IEP issue they can move you - it's a stretch to argue changing a kid who has had an accident requires them to alter his LRE when neighborhood schools all over the city do this for a range of 3 year olds. It may not be necessary to go that route (have them integrate a independently potty trained goal into his IEP if accidents become a consistent issue - either from your perspective or theirs - they can't very well argue against it by saying it's a skill typical kids are still working on if they're insisting the accidents are problems, can they?), but I wouldn't worry if you do that that gives them a hook to move him.

But what an attitude/initial set of interactions to have! It may just be a coordinator who is not very good at the parent relations side of things (we have one of those), or could be true resistance (either specific to your kid or they're already overwhelmed).

[Anonymous]

That sucks OP. Fwiw, my 3 year old with special needs was in a non-self contained room at a DC charter school and was not potty trained at all. He had an IEP goal related to potty training, which was that he would tell teachers when he had a dirty diaper. Several NT kids in his class had frequent accidents and some wore pull ups at nap time. That is totally normal for 3 year olds. I hope this person is just wackadoodle and the school will be reasonable about accidents!

[Anonymous]

OP here. So it happened. DS has a #2 accident in the classroom, and low and behold, they called and DH had to drive to school from work to clean and change him. He has had a history of #2 accidents at times of transition and stress (like when we started getting him evaluated for special needs, etc). So now my question is, has anybody at DCPS had any luck with adding #2 clean up to an IEP? Is that bananas? Or is that a reasonable request for an ASD 3 year-old? My thinking is that if he has to sit in a nurse's office for an hour to wait for a parent to come, on multiple occasions, it starts to affect is access to FAPE. Last year he was at a charter and they cleaned and changed him no problem. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All kids in our school until K are asked to bring in two sets of clothes in case of accidents. This is just reasonable, not an attack on you or your child.

+1 Same at our charter. Kids in preschool may have accidents... and teachers and assistants will help clean them up.

Not sure why some schools feel the need to read new parents the riot act and scare the Sh#% out of them FOR NO REASON. Kids that age can/do have potty accidents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So it happened. DS has a #2 accident in the classroom, and low and behold, they called and DH had to drive to school from work to clean and change him. He has had a history of #2 accidents at times of transition and stress (like when we started getting him evaluated for special needs, etc). So now my question is, has anybody at DCPS had any luck with adding #2 clean up to an IEP? Is that bananas? Or is that a reasonable request for an ASD 3 year-old? My thinking is that if he has to sit in a nurse's office for an hour to wait for a parent to come, on multiple occasions, it starts to affect is access to FAPE. Last year he was at a charter and they cleaned and changed him no problem. Thanks for your thoughts.

Teachers did not go to college to clean your kid's poop. If that is what he requires he needs to be in a one-on-one setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So it happened. DS has a #2 accident in the classroom, and low and behold, they called and DH had to drive to school from work to clean and change him. He has had a history of #2 accidents at times of transition and stress (like when we started getting him evaluated for special needs, etc). So now my question is, has anybody at DCPS had any luck with adding #2 clean up to an IEP? Is that bananas? Or is that a reasonable request for an ASD 3 year-old? My thinking is that if he has to sit in a nurse's office for an hour to wait for a parent to come, on multiple occasions, it starts to affect is access to FAPE. Last year he was at a charter and they cleaned and changed him no problem. Thanks for your thoughts.

This seems totally crazy. Your point about FAPE is very well taken, but really, they should not make any 3 year old sit in his own poop for an hour, or make their parents take off work to come change them, regardless of whether they have an IEP! I don't have any great advice for you, but encourage you to pursue this up the chain as necessary to get it fixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So it happened. DS has a #2 accident in the classroom, and low and behold, they called and DH had to drive to school from work to clean and change him. He has had a history of #2 accidents at times of transition and stress (like when we started getting him evaluated for special needs, etc). So now my question is, has anybody at DCPS had any luck with adding #2 clean up to an IEP? Is that bananas? Or is that a reasonable request for an ASD 3 year-old? My thinking is that if he has to sit in a nurse's office for an hour to wait for a parent to come, on multiple occasions, it starts to affect is access to FAPE. Last year he was at a charter and they cleaned and changed him no problem. Thanks for your thoughts.

You can put whatever you want in the IEP as long as the IEP team agrees. You should not have to have it in an IEP that a 3 yr old gets help with cleanup but if they are going to be jerks about it, yes - put it in the IEP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So it happened. DS has a #2 accident in the classroom, and low and behold, they called and DH had to drive to school from work to clean and change him. He has had a history of #2 accidents at times of transition and stress (like when we started getting him evaluated for special needs, etc). So now my question is, has anybody at DCPS had any luck with adding #2 clean up to an IEP? Is that bananas? Or is that a reasonable request for an ASD 3 year-old? My thinking is that if he has to sit in a nurse's office for an hour to wait for a parent to come, on multiple occasions, it starts to affect is access to FAPE. Last year he was at a charter and they cleaned and changed him no problem. Thanks for your thoughts.

Teachers did not go to college to clean your kid's poop. If that is what he requires he needs to be in a one-on-one setting.

That's an interesting proposed amendment to the nation's laws on disability and special education: Children should be given a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment UNLESS they are not potty trained, in which case they should be removed from all other children at all times. Luckily for our children, that is not the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So it happened. DS has a #2 accident in the classroom, and low and behold, they called and DH had to drive to school from work to clean and change him. He has had a history of #2 accidents at times of transition and stress (like when we started getting him evaluated for special needs, etc). So now my question is, has anybody at DCPS had any luck with adding #2 clean up to an IEP? Is that bananas? Or is that a reasonable request for an ASD 3 year-old? My thinking is that if he has to sit in a nurse's office for an hour to wait for a parent to come, on multiple occasions, it starts to affect is access to FAPE. Last year he was at a charter and they cleaned and changed him no problem. Thanks for your thoughts.

Teachers did not go to college to clean your kid's poop. If that is what he requires he needs to be in a one-on-one setting.

NT 3 yr olds have potty accidents.